new the hometown newspaper for menlo park, atherton, … · 2019. 3. 5. · 6 q thealmanac q...

F E B R U A R Y 6 , 2 0 1 9 | VOL . 54 NO. 23 WWW.ALMANACNEWS.COM

T H E H O M E T O W N N E W S P A P E R F O R M E N L O P A R K , A T H E R T O N , P O R T O L A V A L L E Y A N D W O O D S I D E

200 residents attend meeting on burglaries | Page 5Questions in wake of PG&E’s bankruptcy filing | Page 5Meeting on teacher housing set for Feb. 13 | 1

Woodside mushroom hunter travels near and far for the love of fungi Page 16

2 TheAlmanac AlmanacNews.com February 6, 2019

Square footage, acreage, and other information herein, has been received from one or more of a variety of different sources.Such information has not been verified by Alain Pinel Realtors®. If important to buyers, buyers should conduct their own investigation.

WOODSIDE $24,500,000

176 Harcross Road | 7bd/7.5baS. Dancer/H. Johnson | 650.888.8199

License # 00868362/# 00379463

REDWOOD CITY $1,850,000

49 Oak Avenue | Tri-plexJayne Williams | 650.906.5599

License # 00937070

MENLO PARK $1,795,000

276 Hedge Drive | 3bd/1baM. Lockwood/R. Flores | 650.434.4318

License # 01017519/# 02027985

WOODSIDE $1,490,000

12 Montecito Road | Land/3.6 AcresWayne Rivas | 650.740.5746

License # 01055861

EAST PALO ALTO $1,275,000

2007 Poplar Avenue | 2bd/1.5baBarbara Williams | 650.814.0741

License # 01033672

WOODSIDE $17,950,000

5 Woodview Lane | 6bd/6baM. Andrighetto/B. Bianchini | 650.796.4902

License # 01993000/# 00878979

APR.COMOver 30 Real Estate Offices Serving The Bay Area Including Woodside 650.529.1111

THE ADDRESS IS THE PENINSU�

THE EXPERIENCE IS A�IN PINEL

February 6, 2019 AlmanacNews.com TheAlmanac 3

PREMIER PROPERTIES represented by

650.888.8199 [email protected] Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062License # 00868362

Square footage, acreage, and other information herein, has been received from one or more of a variety of different sources. Such information has not been verified by Alain Pinel Realtors®. If important to buyers, buyers should conduct their own investigation.

WOODSIDE | 4.7 ACRESOFFERED AT $4,795,000

PORTOLA VALLEY | 2.5 ACRESOFFERED AT $10,900,000


WOODSIDE | 12 ACRESOFFERED AT $13,900,000





WOODSIDE | 1+ ACRESOFFERED AT $3,995,000


WOODSIDE | ULTRA-LUXEOFFERED AT $4,600,000

PORTOLA VALLEY | 2.75 ACRESOFFERED AT $6,295,000




SOLD IN 2018 SOLD IN 2018 SOLD IN 2018

SOLD IN 2018SOLD IN 2018SOLD IN 2018

SOLD IN 2018 SOLD IN 2018 SOLD IN 2018

February 6, 2019 AlmanacNews.com The Almanac 5

M E N L O P A R K | A T H E R T O N | W O O D S I D E | P O R T O L A V A L L E Y

Local NewsQuestions swirl in

aftermath of PG&E’s bankruptcy filing

The utility faces around $30 billion in liability from California’s destructive fires in 2017 and

2018. How will locals be impacted?By Kate BradshawAlmanac Staff Writer

Pacific Gas & Electric filed for Chapter 11 bankrupt-cy Jan. 29, throwing the

future of the large investor-owned utility into the hands of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, state legislators and the California Public Utilities Commission.

For now, lights and gas will still go on as usual. According to a Q&A response page on PG&E’s website, the company is not going out of business, and does not expect “any impact” on its electric and natural gas service.

PG&E’s website also states that the bankruptcy filing will not impact the growing number of people whose energy is pur-chased by local energy buyer groups, including Peninsula Clean Energy, a joint powers authority serving San Mateo County communities; and Sili-con Valley Clean Energy, which serves much of Santa Clara County, including Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Sunnyvale and Cupertino.

These are nonprofit entities, often referred to as community choice aggregators or CCAs, that pull together the energy demand of various communi-ties to buy a portfolio of energy that’s cleaner, more renewable and cheaper than what PG&E offers. They rely on PG&E’s power grid to transmit and dis-tribute the power they purchase,

as well as on PG&E to collect energy bills on their behalf. The city of Palo Alto, which runs its own utilities system, will also not be affected.

Representatives from those nonprofit entities confirmed this understanding:

“We’ve been told by PG&E everything will be business as usual,” CEO Jan Pepper of Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) said in an interview. “There’s no reason for people to be worried.”

“No customer outages are expected as a result of this action, either for PG&E’s direct customers, or for customers such as Palo Alto, connected through PG&E’s transmission system,” Palo Alto City Manager Ed Shikada said at a Jan. 14 City Council Meeting.

Regarding the impact of PG&E’s action, Silicon Val-ley Clean Energy communica-tions manager Pamela Leonard referred to a press statement by CalCCA, an association repre-senting CCAs across the state, which stated that it supported PG&E’s announcement it would continue to collect bills on behalf of CCAs.

“We agree with PG&E that ‘the normal and uninterrupted remittance’ of customer pay-ments to CCAs and other pub-lic-purpose programs is of the utmost importance,” the asso-ciation stated.

See PG&E, page 7

San Mateo County conducts biennial homeless count

Photo by Magali Gauthier/The Almanac.

Volunteer Navjeet Singh, a San Mateo County Human Services Agency manager, marks down the license plate number of an RV on the border of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park during the biennial point-in-time count of individuals experiencing homelessness on Jan. 31.

By Kate BradshawAlmanac Staff Writer

More than 300 volun-teers across San Mateo County woke up well

before dawn on Thursday, Jan. 31, to take part in the coun-ty’s biennial one-day homeless count.

A segment of those volunteers reported at 5 a.m. to a clinic space at the Ravenswood Fam-ily Health Center on Bay Road in East Palo Alto. They were greeted with coffee and snacks, paired into teams, and handed a census tract to cover. (There are 160 census tracts in the county, according to county spokesper-son Michelle Durand.)

Their instructions: To pass through each street in the

census tract, either on foot or by car; keep an eye out for homeless people, whether unsheltered or in cars or RVs; and, for the first time, to record their findings in a mobile app. Volunteers were instructed not to wake anyone, but if they did find someone awake who was willing to talk, they were permitted to admin-ister a survey through the app.

Volunteers in Menlo Park included three members of the Menlo Park Housing Com-mission — Nevada Merri-man, Michele Tate and Wendy McPherson — as well as Bruce Ives, CEO of Menlo Park-based homeless services nonprofit LifeMoves.

The Almanac shadowed Mer-riman and her partner for the assignment, Navjeet Singh,

economic self-sufficiency man-ager at the San Mateo County Human Services Agency, who were assigned an area in Menlo Park and East Palo Alto. Singh drove while Merriman entered observations into the mobile app, called “Connecting Us.” They periodically stopped to walk in areas that were difficult to access by car and seemed like places where people experienc-ing homelessness might seek shelter — for example, by a creek or under a bridge.

The data collected is used to shape the county’s homelessness policies.

“This effort provides a point-in-time snapshot of people expe-riencing homelessness,” Durand

See HOMELESS, page 6

Atherton police: At least $2M in jewelry, other items stolen this year Residents pack Jennings Pavilion for community meeting on burglaries

By Angela SwartzAlmanac Staff Writer

About 200 Atherton resi-dents filled Holbrook-Palmer Park’s Jennings

Pavilion on Thursday, Jan. 31, for a police meeting on a recent rash of burglaries in town.

Police held the community meeting to address residents’ concerns about crime. Several of the residents burglarized over

the last few months attended the meeting and spoke critically of the department, question-ing whether police are doing enough to stop the crimes.

One burglary victim asked if the Atherton police are “out of their league” in dealing with the recent burglaries.

Atherton Police Chief Steven McCulley said he “highly dis-agreed” with the comment. It’s “extremely difficult” to find and

convict burglars, he said. About 18 percent of property crimes — including burglary, theft and car theft — in the U.S. are solved, according to 2017 FBI data.

“The wheels of justice turn slow, but we are working very hard,” Atherton Police Cmdr. Joe Wade said.

Spike in burglariesPolice department data shows

a dramatic increase in home

burglaries in town year-to-year: There were seven residential burglaries in 2017 compared with 26 in 2018.

Things began fairly quietly in 2018, but the last two months saw a spike in the number of home burglaries. Five incidents were reported in November and seven were reported in December.

Someone stole $14,000 worth of electronics from Encinal Ele-mentary School during the first weekend of December. Police have identified a suspect in that

burglary, officers said at the meeting. In another incident in November, one or more bur-glars shattered a window of a home on Broadacres Road and stole a 400-pound safe contain-ing roughly $225,000 worth of jewelry.

Burglars stole $1,991,542 worth of goods in four inci-dents in January, Sgt. Anthony Kockler said at the meeting. Police said they will have more

See BURGLARIES, page 6


N E W S

Serving Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley,

and Woodside for over 50 years

The Almanac is published

every Wednesday at

3525 Alameda De Las Pulgas,

Menlo Park, CA 94025

Newsroom: (650) 223-6525

Newsroom Fax: (650) 223-7525

Email news and photos with captions

to: [email protected]

Email letters to:

[email protected]

Advertising: (650) 854-2626

Advertising Fax: (650) 223-7570

Classified Advertising: (650) 854-0858

Submit Obituaries:

www.almanacnews.com/obituaries

NEWSROOM

Editor

Renee Batti (223-6528)

Assistant Editor

Julia Brown (223-6531)

Staff Writers

Dave Boyce (223-6527),

Kate Bradshaw (223-6588)

Angela Swartz (223-6529)

Contributors Kate Daly, Maggie Mah,

Barbara Wood

Special Sections Editor

Linda Taaffe (223-6511)

Photographer

Magali Gauthier (223-6530)

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Design and Production Manager

Kristin Brown (223-6562)

Designers Linda Atilano, Amy Levine,

Paul Llewellyn, Doug Young

ADVERTISING

Vice President Sales and Marketing

Tom Zahiralis (223-6570)

Display Advertising Sales

Caitlin Wolf (223-6508)

Real Estate Manager

Neal Fine (223-6583)

Legal Advertising

Alicia Santillan (223-6578)

ADVERTISING SERVICES

Advertising Services Manager

Kevin Legarda (223-6597)

Sales & Production Coordinators

Diane Martin (223-6584),

Nico Navarrete (223-6582)

The Almanac (ISSN 1097-3095 and USPS 459370) is published every Wednesday by Embarcadero Media, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025-6558. Periodicals Postage Paid at Menlo Park, CA and at additional mailing offices. Adjudicated a newspaper of general circulation for San Mateo County, The Almanac is delivered free to homes in Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Almanac, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025-6558. Copyright ©2019 by Embarcadero Media, All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

To request free delivery, or stop delivery, of The Almanac in zip code 94025, 94027, 94028 and the Woodside portion of 94062, call 854-2626.

The Almanac is qualified by decree of the Superior Court of San Mateo County to publish public notices of a governmental and legal nature, as stated in Decree No. 147530, issued October 20, 1969. Subscriptions are $60 for one year and $100 for two years. Go to AlmanacNews.com/circulation.

Established 1965AVENIDASEVENTS

Come tour our newly remodeled Enrichment Center in downtown Palo Alto!9am - 11am: Members only12pm - 2pm: Public

OPEN HOUSEAVENIDAS@450 BRYANT STREET

MAR9

FREE!

Come see our South Palo Alto Enrichment Center!4000 Middlefield Road, Bldg. I-211am - 1pm

CUBBERLEY DAY & OPEN HOUSEAVENIDAS@CUBBERLEY

MAR23

FREE!

Learn tips and tricks to maximize your money in retirement!Mitchell Park Community Center8:30am - 3:30pm

AVENIDAS FINANCIAL CONFERENCEMAR30TIX:

VISIT WEB

Doors to Avenidas@450 Bryant Street openand classes start on April 1, 2019.

(650) 289-5400 | WWW.AVENIDAS.ORG

450 Cambridge Avenue | Palo Alto, CA 94306 | 650.326.8210PaloAltoOnline.com | TheAlmanacOnline.com | MountainViewOnline.com

Embarcadero Media is an independent multimedia news organization with over 35 years of providing award-winning local news, community information and entertainment to the Midpeninsula.

We are always looking for talented and creative people interested in joining our efforts to produce outstanding journalism and results for our advertisers through print and online.

We currently have the following positions open for talented and outgoing individuals:

• Advertising Sales/Production Admin Assist the sales and design teams in the production of online and print advertising. Tech savvy, excellent communication and keen attention to detail a must.

• Graphic Designer Creation/production of print and online ads, including editorial layout, in a fast-paced environment. Publishing experience and video editing a plus.

• Digital Sales Account Representative Prospect and sell local businesses in our markets who have needs to brand and promote their businesses or events using our full-suite of digital solutions. Responsibilities include excellent sales and closing skills on the phone, preparing proposals, maintaining a weekly sales pipeline and ability to hit deadlines and work well under pressure. Sales experience is a plus, but we will consider well-qualified candidates with a passion to succeed.

• News Reporter Full-time news reporter with a passion for local journalism needed to cover the towns of Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside. The ideal candidate will have experience covering education, local government and community news, as well as writing engaging feature stories. Social media skills are a plus.

We’re looking for talented, highly-motivated and dynamic people

Join our team!

For more information visit: http://embarcaderomediagroup.com/employment

said in a press statement. “Data is compared with historical counts to show trends over time and the count is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.”

Merriman is also director of housing development at MidPen Housing Corporation, a non-profit affordable housing devel-oper. Earlier in her career, she said, she used statistics collected from a prior one-day homeless count to describe to community members the need for an afford-able housing development she

was working on in Sunnyvale. In 2017, 1,253 homeless people

were counted as having spent the night of Jan. 26 on the streets, in vehicles, or in the county’s emergency shelters, a 16 percent decrease in overall homelessness from 2015 obser-vations. However, the number of homeless living in vehicles and RVs rose in 2017 by 25 percent and 44 percent, respectively.

Preliminary results from the count will be processed, ana-lyzed and submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The final report is expected to be released in June. A

HOMELESScontinued from page 5

information on what was stolen sometime this week.

Burglars have mainly been tak-ing purses, jewelry and watches, Kockler said. There likely are two groups of burglars carrying out these crimes, police said.

There were five residential burglaries in January, more than in any other month in 2017 or 2018 except November and December 2018.

Police responseThe department has increased

the number of unmarked police cars with plainclothes officers patrolling town to address the crime streak, police said at the meeting. Police noted it’s important for residents to turn on their security cameras and alarm systems. Residents can sign up to have home alarm sys-tems notify the police directly if there’s a break-in, leading to faster response times than if the call goes to the security com-pany first, police said.

Some home security alarms haven’t activated during break-ins because thieves will smash windows and walk through the hole they create, not tripping motion detectors, police said. A few residents at the meeting recommended installing sound detectors, which will set off an alarm if a window’s glass breaks.

A couple of residents burglar-ized complained that police haven’t provided updates on their cases. One person said police failed to interview her neighbors or nearby construc-tion workers after her home was burglarized. Officers asked the woman to speak with them after the meeting so they could follow up with her on the case.

Other towns on the Peninsula — like Hillsborough — are also being hit by burglars, Sgt. Jeff Rickel said.

“Atherton still is an incred-ibly safe town statistically,” Rickel said. “It’s not even a

blip in crime on the Peninsula. We don’t want you (Atherton residents) to be so alarmed that you’re nervous all the time.”

Recent incidentsOne or more thieves struck as

the Jan. 31 meeting was coming to an end, smashing the second-story balcony door window of a home on the unit block of Santiago Avenue at around 8:33 p.m., according to an Atherton police press release. Burglars set off a security alarm at the home as officers were responding to a call of smoke inside another home. This delayed the officers’ response to the alarm, police said.

“Based upon the methods used by the suspect(s) to gain entry into the residence, investigators believe these may be the same suspects responsible for many of the previous burglaries,” police said in the press release. As of Friday, Feb. 1, police didn’t yet know whether any items were stolen from the home.

A residence was burglarized Jan. 3, and there were multiple burglaries and a car theft in a 24-hour period between Jan. 28 and 29. In a Jan. 25 incident, burglars forced their way into a home on the 100 block of Tus-caloosa Avenue by smashing a second-story balcony window, surveillance footage showed. There were at least three burglars involved and about $5,000 worth of jewelry was stolen, according to a police press release.

In another incident, burglars stole $10,000 worth of purses after forcing their way into a home on James Avenue by breaking a rear window between Jan. 25 and Jan. 28, police said.

Most of the burglaries have occurred between 6 and 9 p.m., according to police. Two recent burglaries took place in the morning at homes that were occupied, and both of the sus-pects were immediately arrest-ed, police said in a press release following the meeting. The two incidents “were not part of the recent rash of burglaries,” police said. A

BURGLARIEScontinued from page 5


N E W S

TOWN OF WOODSIDE2955 WOODSIDE ROADWOODSIDE, CA 94062

NOTICE OF PUBLICATIONAnnual Reporting for the Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2018Development of the Town of Woodside Climate Action Plan (CAP) was required as mitigation in conjunction with adoption of the Town of Woodside’s General Plan Mitigated Negative Declaration in 2012. The CAP outlines a program to achieve targeted greenhouse gas emission reductions. The Annual Report for the CAP documents the Town’s progress

still requiring attention.This notice advises members of the public that the Town’s third Annual Report was accepted by the Town Council on January 29, 2019is available for a 30-day Public Review Period between February 6, 2019 and March 8, 2019. The Annual Report is available for public

https://www.woodsidetown.org/planning/climate-action-plan. For more

Written comments may be submitted during the Public Review Period at

Town of Woodside

[email protected]

PORTOLA VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICTNOTICE of REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

The Portola Valley School District is requesting propos-als for Network Infrastructure Electronics and Installa-tion (RFP#190014961 E-RATE Y22-001). Visit the Dis-trict website (http://pvsd.net/rfp) or the USAC EPC Portal website (https://portal.usac.org/suite/) for the complete Request for Proposal (“RFP”) document as well as all addendum(s) and any questions and answers.

Sealed proposals must be delivered to the PORTOLA VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT (PVSD), 4575 Alpine Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028 by February 19, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. PST. Proposals shall be opened at the above-stated time and place.

However... Looking farther ahead, how-ever, PG&E’s bankruptcy raises major questions about the future of energy in California, and about who should pay when fires devastate huge swaths of land across the state. According to State Sen. Jerry Hill, this is “slightly uncharted territory,” but for now lights will stay on, and in the end, “rates will probably go up.” PG&E’s bankruptcy, he said, is a “bank-ruptcy of convenience more than a bankruptcy of necessity.” “The bankruptcy is going to cost ratepayers,” said Jeff Aalfs, a Portola Valley town council-man and chair of Peninsula Clean Energy’s board of directors. Ratepayers are still footing the bill from the last time the company declared bankruptcy, in April 2001. That time, the utility was under U.S. Bankruptcy Court protection for three years and the bankruptcy was estimated to cost about $1,300 to $1,700 per customer. At the core of PG&E’s bank-ruptcy filing is the liability it faces from the spate of devastat-ing fires that tore across Cali-fornia in 2017 and 2018. PG&E is being sued by thousands of wildfire victims and some local governments, says CALmatters reporter Judy Lin. “We recognize that we have a lot of work ahead to rebuild cred-ibility and trust,” the company stated on Jan. 29. “This bankruptcy was about protecting (PG&E’s) liability around fire victims,” Aalfs said. One question at the heart of these bankruptcy hearings, he added, is this: “How do we absorb the cost of past and future fire events in a way that’s fair?” SB 901 was passed last year, and one controversial element of it is that liability PG&E incurs can be be passed on to ratepayers. “If the government assumes liability in an event like a fire, does it make sense for a com-pany to use public funds to pro-tect private shareholders? I don’t think that’s fair,” Aalfs said. PG&E is still solvent, accord-ing to its most recent SEC filing, says KQED news. However, the utility can’t access credit because of the amount it could owe to wildfire victims. That changed on Jan. 28, when the California Public Utilities Commission voted to permit it to borrow up to $6.1 billion in loans and credit. On Jan. 22, it was reported that the company had already lined up $5.5 billion in financing.

According to CALmatters, the company faces up to $30 billion in liability for 2017 and 2018 fires in Northern California. “At least a dozen major fires have been traced to PG&E equip-ment, and one of its towers is a prime suspect in the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 86 people,” the publication states. Controversially, as part of its bankruptcy filing, PG&E, while facing $51.7 billion in total debts, said it wants to pay employees $130 million in per-formance bonuses for last year, or between $5,000 and $90,000 per person, not including senior officers and directors, according to Bloomberg. Hill called the request “shame-ful,” given that about two weeks ago, the utility denied a $1.2 million claim from victims who lost homes in the wine country fires of 2017.

Impacts on local power agencies? For CCAs like Peninsula Clean Energy, PG&E is both a competi-tor and a partner. CCAs rely on PG&E to transmit and distribute energy through its grid. They are able to purchase cleaner power and provide it to users at lower rates than PG&E can because they operate on a nonprofit basis and it’s now cheaper to contract for renewable energy than it used to be. This is due, in part, to PG&E’s large-scale contracts for green power negotiated years ago when that technology was costlier than it is now, for which PG&E continues to pay high rates, Aalfs explained. Those contracts require PG&E to pay up to four or five times for solar what current costs are, he said. Aalfs said he sees a number of ways that the bankruptcy proceedings could play out in the future some of which could be positive for CCAs and lower costs for ratepayers in the long-term. “To be very clear,” he emphasized, “we have no idea what’s going to happen. It’s very speculative.” He pointed to a December memo from the California Pub-lic Utilities Commission, which states, “This Commission is tasked with regulating PG&Eís safe operation of its natural gas pipeline and electricity infrastruc-ture. Given PG&Eís record and the dangers inherent in PG&Eís service territory, the Commis-sion must evaluate whether there is a better way to serve Northern California with safe and reliable electric and gas service at just and reasonable rates.” It lays out a number of ques-tions it plans to explore to regu-late the utility. The state Legislature, Hill said, has been tasked with establish-ing what the California PUC would have to consider as part of

the bankruptcy process. There’s an interest in making sure CCAs are not harmed, he added. One possibility, Hill said, is that there may be an opportunity for PG&E to back out of its older, high-cost energy contracts. “It’s possible this could be devastating to CCAs,” he said. If PG&E gets rid of its expensive contracts, the utility “could, in a sense, reduce (its) rates to a point that they would be below the CCAs — and that could be a problem.” Such plans would likely be strongly opposed by the contract holders, Aalfs predicted. “Canceling some of those contracts would be good for ratepayers, but bad for produc-ers,” he said. A separate possibility if PG&E were to sell off its energy gen-eration contracts and facilities, Aalfs suggested, is that the “exit fees” that PG&E charges CCA participants might be restruc-tured and replaced with some other fee spread more evenly across all ratepayers, Aalfs said. These exit fees are at the heart of a long-running battle between PG&E and CCAs. Currently, PG&E charges users who opt out of buying its energy a fee that appears on each monthly bill. In October 2018, the California Public Utilities Commission agreed to permit that fee to rise dramatically. At the time, there was speculation that the move could impact the viability of newer CCAs. On the other hand, the bank-ruptcy judge could very well agree to further increase those exit fees, Hill said. The judge’s goal is to maximize assets and revenue, he explained. Another alternative raised by the CPUC is for PG&E to become a wires-only company, in which case, Aalfs suggested, PG&E might be held to a higher standard of transmission infra-structure maintenance. “I think they’re doing quite a bit to make sure these never happen again in the future,” he said. But those risks can only be minimized, not eliminated, he added. “We made this deal a long time ago. We like having elec-tricity. That means having a transmission grid,” he said. One way to build better safety into transmission infrastruc-ture is to decentralize the grid through local power produc-tion and storage, Aalfs said. As more power is produced locally and power storage capabilities expand, that decentralization becomes more robust. Some day, he speculated, dur-ing a high-wind period, PG&E might be able to shut off the grid, and his jurisdiction, Por-tola Valley, might be able to keep the lights on using local batter-ies for a few hours. A

PG&Econtinued from page 5

Jeff Aalfs

Dear Monica: Whenever I am outside and I smell woodsmoke

immediately think of the terrible

and wonder why someone is

rid of all the smoke. What are the

of the past few years in California have changed people’s minds about smoke. The romantic allure of wood

cozy and attractive but this attitude has changed considerably. This

days of unhealthy air to the region, many people began to rethink the

Many cities in California have

in new construction for several years. Older buildings that have them have been allowed to use them, but often if a major repair is needed

have more Spare the Air days when no burning of particulate matter is

source of heat for a building. Gas

have little or no effect on air quality.

Contact me at [email protected]; Office: 650-465-5971 Ranked in the Wall St Journal’s 2016, 2017, and 2018 Nationwide list of top 250 Realtors.

Wood Burning Fireplaces

REAL ESTATE Q&Aby Monica Corman


N E W S

Ravenswood holding public meetings on charter school expansion request

By Elena Kadvany

The Ravenswood City School District is hosting a series of community meetings through Feb. 9 to inform the public about a request from KIPP Valiant Community Prep for a long-term location, which would likely displace a district school.

KIPP, one of two charter schools authorized by the dis-trict, is currently housed in 18 classrooms at the adjacent Brentwood and Los Robles/McNair sites. The charter school opened in 2017 and plans to expand to include eighth grade by 2021, with a maximum enrollment of 610 students. Starting this fall, the school plans to enroll 558 students, according to the school district.

Under Proposition 39, public school districts are required to make facilities available to charter schools to ensure all students have access. KIPP sub-mitted a facilities request to the district in November. The char-ter school did not immediately respond to a request for com-ment for this article.

The district initially hoped

to offer KIPP space at the for-mer Runnymede School site, where Aspire East Palo Alto Charter School operates, but a district architect and attorney said it would not be physically feasible, Superintendent Gloria Hernandez-Goff said at the Dec. 13 school board meeting.

The district also reviewed enrollment capacity at every available site and determined that co-locating the charter school with Ravenswood pro-grams was not feasible, attorney Elizabeth Mori of firm Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost told the board in December. Belle Haven Elementary School in Menlo Park appears to be the “likely site scenario,” Mori said.

The school board will decide whether Belle Haven, Brent-wood, Costaño or Willow Oaks will house KIPP starting this fall. Students and teachers from the affected neighborhood school will be moved to other sites, and the district will likely have to reduce staff, specifi-cally administrators, according to a frequently-asked-questions page on the issue posted on the district’s website Friday.

Ravenswood is now under a tight deadline to make a dif-ficult decision. The district is required to make a final facili-ties offer to KIPP on or before April 1.

KIPP’s growth comes at a cost to the district, which is losing an increasing number of students each year to other schools and the funding attached to them. Lingering dissatisfaction with district leadership and the state of the district, compounded by KIPP’s expansion request, have prompted more than 200 community members to sign a petition calling for Hernandez-Goff ’s removal.

Upcoming meetings are Wednesday from 5:45 to 7:15 p.m. in the Willow Oaks Ele-mentary multipurpose room at 620 Willow Road in Menlo Park; Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Brentwood Acad-emy multipurpose room, 2086 Clarke St., East Palo Alto; and Saturday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the district boardroom at 2120 Euclid Ave. in East Palo Alto.

Elena Kadvany is a staff writer with the Palo Alto Weekly, The

Almanac’s sister paper.

CorrectionA story in the Jan. 30 Alma-

nac listed the wrong application deadline to enroll a child in the Early Learning Center. The deadline is Feb. 15.

William Wade Awbrey dies at 87By Angela SwartzAlmanac Staff Writer

William Wade Awbrey, who lived in Atherton for 42 years, died Jan.

20 at the age of 87.Awbrey was born in San Fran-

cisco to Frances Sisson and Roy Awbrey. He grew up in Dixon, California, and Carson City, Nevada.

He took a break from college at University of the Pacific to attend flight school in Pensacola, Florida, and became a naval aviator, according to information provided by his family.

In 1956, he married Mary Stuart in Washington, D.C. He then served six more months in the Navy with squadron VP18 in Jacksonville, Florida, according to his family.

After his stint in Jacksonville, he enrolled at University of California at Berkeley, serving as a lieutenant in the Navy while attending school. He gradu-ated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

After college, Awbrey worked for the Continental Can Com-pany. He spent 20 years with the company and later held manage-ment roles at Scholle Corpora-tion, Pacific Coast Producers and

Confab Corporation.Awbrey actively participated

in community affairs in Ather-ton. He served as president of the Holbrook-Palmer Park Foundation from 1982 to 1984 and was a member of the Park & Recreation Committee from 2007 to 2011. In retirement, he volunteered as a tutor and at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, his family said.

Music was one of Awbrey’s greatest passions. He was hap-piest when he played trumpet, harmonica or the ukulele for his three granddaughters, his family said. Awbrey also enjoyed tennis, golf and skiing.

Awbrey is preceded in death by his daughter Blair. He is survived by his wife Mary Stuart, their two children Craig Awbrey (Car-rie) and Lisa Awbrey (Jason), and three granddaughters.

The family is asking that dona-tions in his memory be made to any veterans organization.

A private family service for Awbrey is planned for February. A


MARY GULLIXSON650.888.0860

[email protected]# 00373961

BRENT [email protected]# 01329216

THEY ARE RANKED THE #18 TEAM IN THE NATION IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORT OF THE TOP RESIDENTIAL

REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS (PUBLISHED IN JUNE 2018). SINCE THESE RANKINGS WERE

INITIATED THE GULLIXSONS HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN IN THE TOP 20, EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR BY TEAM.

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate.

SPECTACULAR CENTRAL WOODSIDE SETTING WITH WESTERN HILL VIEWS

Beautiful 5.78+/- acre setting Refreshing Western Hill views

4 bedroom, 5.5 bath main residence 1 bedroom, 2 bath guest house and

Fitness studio with full bath

Pool, spa, tennis court, basketball court, golf practice area Woodside schools

[ GULLIXSON.COM ]


N E W S

Questions? Visit: www.smcsustainability.org • Call: 1-888-442-2666 • Email: [email protected]

The County of San Mateo’s Sustainability Academy provides NO-COST events and workshops to San Mateo County community members.

To register for our offerings, please visit: www.smcsustainability.org/academyMaster Resource Conservation Course: Registration Now Open!Thursday evenings 6:00 - 9:00 pm during February 21, 2019 – April 18, 2019 Room 101, 455 County Center, Redwood City. Space is limited! Application found at www.smcsustainability.org/academy and due February 15th. The Sustainability Academy’s Master Resource Conservation Course is a no-cost 9-week course. This year, the course will use a study of the food system to look in depth at the following topics:

• Climate change and sea level rise

• Solid waste management• Transportation• Communication strategies and instructional skills you can use to teach others about sustainability

Fixit Clinic WorkshopsJoin us for a hands-on Fixit Clinic workshop! Coaches will help you assess and troubleshoot your broken household items such as electronics, appliances, com-puters, toys, sewing machines, bicycles fabric items, etc. Learn skills to prolong the life of your belongings and reduce waste.

Home Composting Workshops• Learn how easy and fun it is to recycle your fruit

and vegetable scraps, leaves and plant cuttings into compost with a backyard or worm compost bin.

• You don’t need a backyard to compost! Discounts and rebates for compost bins available for County residents.

Saturday, February 2nd, 2019 1:00 – 4:00 pm East Palo Alto Public Library, 2415 University AveSaturday, March 30, 2019 12:00 – 3:00 pm, 840 W Orange Ave., South SF

Saturday, March 30, 2019, 2:30 – 4:30 pm San Carlos Public Library, 610 Elm StreetSaturday, April 27, 2019, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm South City Scavengers, 500 E Jamie Ct, SF

Stanford pediatricians, now in your neighborhood at Peninsula Pediatric Medical Group in Menlo Park

Access to Excellence.

genpeds.stanfordchildrens.org

Menlo Park council hashes out 2019 goals


Following roughly six hours of discussion on Saturday, Feb. 2, the Menlo Park City

Council agreed to hold off until later in the month to pick its top priorities for 2019.

While parts of the discussion seemed fitting for the day the meeting took place — Ground-hog Day — a number of new ideas were brought before the council for consideration.

Members of the public sug-gested several projects to add to the city’s annual work plan, including:

Supporting affordable hous-ing for teachers by working with Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian.

Developing policies to sup-port tenants and improve hous-ing affordability.

Broadening plans for a bike and pedestrian crossing at Mid-dle Avenue to connect it with a bike lane route between Hillview Middle School and Burgess Park.

Looking into establishing a subregional transportation man-agement association, an organi-zation made up of employers, developers and property manag-ers working to provide alterna-tives to driving solo within a given geographic area.

ProgressTwo of last year’s top prior-

ity projects have been accom-plished: transitioning the city to district elections and approv-ing land-use plans to rebuild the Guild Theatre from an old movie theater into a live music and performing arts venue.

The city made some progress on top priority items in 2018. It is working on developing a Safe Routes to School program that would begin by the end of June. The city’s transportation master plan is still in the works and likely won’t be completed until

the second half of 2019.Two other top priorities, to

plan a downtown parking struc-ture and to adopt an update to the city’s El Camino Real/down-town specific plan, do not have concrete deadlines set.

Council members were split 2-2 on the downtown parking structure, with Councilman Drew Combs and Council-woman Betsy Nash against moving forward with planning for a parking structure and Vice Mayor Cecilia Taylor and Coun-cilwoman Catherine Carlton favoring the structure. Mayor Ray Mueller recused himself because the company he works for has an office in downtown Menlo Park.

Items completed on the work plan in 2018 include developing a plan for electric-vehicle-char-ger infrastructure, approving a water system master plan, and efforts by the administra-tive services department to evaluate user fees, employee engagement and organization development.

Work plan projects that are slated for completion this fiscal year include efforts to develop a citywide communications pro-gram, adopt a green infrastruc-ture plan, build restrooms at Jack Lyle Park, update the parks and recreation facilities master plan and complete a prelimi-nary study on the Ravenswood Avenue and Caltrain grade separation project.

Projects expected to run into the new fiscal year include installing sidewalks and streetscape infrastructure on Chilco Street, studying a bike and pedestrian crossing at Mid-dle Avenue and the Caltrain rail line, planning a new Belle Haven Library, and updating the city’s heritage tree ordinance.

The City Council is expected to select its top five or six priori-ties at its meeting scheduled Tuesday, Feb. 26. A

VERY REALLOCAL NEWS

#PressOn

Support local journalism

with a print or online

subscription starting at only

$5 /month

Visit:AlmanacNews.com/

user/subscribe/


N E W S

Hefty raises approved for Menlo Park police

officers, corporalsBy Kate BradshawAlmanac Staff Writer

Members of the Menlo Park Police Officers’ Association will earn

12 percent in raises over the next three years under a contract the Menlo Park City Council approved Tuesday, Jan. 29. Between now and Aug. 31, 2021, the 42 members of the Menlo Park Police Officers’ Association — which represents the city’s rank-and-file officers, corporals and recruits — will get an estimated cumulative increase of about $1.6 million in city funds for pay and benefits. They will get an immediate 6 percent raise, representing 3 percent raises for both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 fiscal years, fol-lowed by another 3 percent raise starting this July 1 and another 3.5 percent raise starting July 1, 2020. Those changes alone add up to more than $1.4 million. “While this package may be viewed as a cumulative total of 12 percent over three years, such a summary does not consider the impact of late implementation,” Administrative Services Director Lenka Diaz explained in a staff report. The changes will affect about five months’ of the current fiscal year’s budget and none of the previous fiscal year’s, she added. The increases do fit within assumptions made by CalPERS, the state’s pension agency, and its analyses of the city’s pension liabilities, she added.

The salary ranges for police officers and corporals will rise based on the number of hours they work. For those who work 2,184 hours a year, the salary range for officers will be $102,807 to $124,962, up from a previous maximum of $117,889, and the new range for corporals will be $110,645 to $134,490, up from a previ-ous maximum of $126,086. Officers who work 2,080 hours a year will have a new range of $97,911 to $119,012, and corpo-rals who work that much will have a new range of $105,377 to $128,086. Officers and corpo-rals are assigned specific work hours and can work more for overtime pay. By comparison, the salary range for a police officer in Palo Alto is approximately $125,422 to $142,417, with more clearly defined hourly pay rates, according to the salary schedule on the city’s website. One consideration behind the increases is that recruiting officers to Menlo Park has been a challenge. According to Diaz, the city’s efforts to recruit police personnel at another public agency in the same position to work for Menlo Park resulted in only one qualified candidate through all of 2017 and 2018. “The city has had to rely on recruiting inexperienced candi-dates, and sponsoring qualified candidates in a police academy,” she said. More than half of the candidates are unsuccessful and

M-A to show documentary on effects of screen addiction‘Child, Disrupted’ screening is Feb. 7


It’s not uncommon to see a child’s eyes glued to an iPad or cellphone. Montessori

teacher Krista Riihimaki noticed her students — at increasingly younger ages — spending large amounts of time tied to digital devices. She couldn’t help but wonder whether overus-ing technology impacts chil-dren’s cognitive and physical development . With that ques-tion in mind, she decided to make a film on the topic. Riihimaki will come to Menlo-Atherton High School

on Thursday, Feb. 7, to screen her documentary, “Child, Dis-rupted,” and hold a panel dis-cussion on screen addiction. In “Child, Disrupted,” Rii-himaki interviews experts in neuroscience, psychology, occu-pational therapy, sociology and addiction to find out if her wor-ries about screen time and child development are valid. The film explains how technology impacts a child’s behavior and offers potential solutions for parents. “We have to really be detec-tives for our children,” she said. “People always ask, ‘How many hours is it OK for kids this age to use tech?’” Parents have to observe their children because technology can affect people in different ways, Riihimaki said. One child might be OK with 30 minutes a day of

Krista Riihimaki

Town hall on teacher housing set for Feb. 13


As local school districts grapple with how to help teachers struggling to

afford to live in the communi-ties in which they teach, housing advocates, educators and others will sit down for a discussion on solving the issue. Menlo Park Mayor Ray Muel-ler and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian will moderate the panel “Mid-Pen-insula Teacher Town Hall: Can We Solve the Teacher Housing Crisis?” on Feb. 13 at Sequoia High School in Redwood City. Sarah Chaffin, a parent and founder of SupportTeacher-Housing.org, a group working to encourage local school districts to build teacher housing, orga-nized the event. This will be the fifth town hall meeting Chaffin has hosted. “It’s really important (to have these town halls) because we’ve got to have the teachers share their personal stories about how difficult it is to find housing in the Bay Area,” Chaffin said. Local government agencies are considering measures to help teachers secure affordable hous-ing. Simitian is spearheading a partnership with local school districts and cities to build a 60- to 120-unit affordable housing complex for local teachers and staff. The teacher housing would be built on a county-owned, 1.5-acre site at 231 Grant Ave. in Palo Alto. The Sequoia Union High School District has not ruled out the possibility of building

teacher housing. Chaffin first became involved in the issue when she heard her daughter’s preschool teacher was commuting from Hollister to Los Gatos, a 50-mile trek. The school’s principal told Chaf-fin it is difficult to recruit staff because it’s so expensive to live in the Bay Area. The conversa-tion with the principal brought the issue to the forefront of her mind, Chaffin said. Panelists at the Feb. 13 town hall include Chaffin; Edith Sal-vatore, president of the Sequoia District Teachers Association; Armando Sanchez, executive director of HEART (Housing Endowment and Regional Trust of San Mateo County), a local housing assistance program; and Maya Perkins, a regional housing and transportation expert. Speakers will explore the fol-lowing topics:

What does teaching with lim-ited housing options look like?

How do limited housing options impact our districts, teaching staff and community?

What, if anything, can we do to improve the situation? Event organizers encourage teachers, administrators, par-ents, students and concerned community members to attend and share their stories of how the housing crisis has impacted them. The event is from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at Sequoia High School, 1201 Brewster Ave. in Redwood City. It is free, but RSVP is required at tinyurl.com/teacherhousingmeeting. A

fail the testing, background, medical or training require-ments necessary, she added. Another reason for the increases is due to escalating costs of living, as measured by the Consumer Price Index. According to those consumer price measurements in the San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose region, the index rose about 3.4 percent between February 2016 and February 2017, and 3.6 percent between February 2017 to February 2018. At the most recent count, a year-over-year measurement between October 2017 and October 2018, that figure was 4.4 percent.

Other benefits The city will also increase its contribution to association members’ “cafeteria” health plan by 2 percent in 2019 and 3 percent in 2020, estimated at a cost of $75,600. Association members will also receive 58 hours of leave that must be used or cashed out by March 23, an estimated value of $153,500. Finally, a minor increase in pay for on-call detectives will cost about $3,700 for the dura-tion of the contract. According to Diaz, these terms were a long time coming. Negotiations began in March 2017. In August 2017, the nego-tiating parties agreed to involve a mediator. Progress moved forward, but in the interim, a number of undisclosed prob-lems arose. Then it was the holi-day season, during which, in keeping with policy, the City Council will not discuss tenta-tive labor contracts, so the mat-ter was delayed until notice could be given in advance of the council’s Jan. 29 meeting. A

screen time, while another child might not be able to handle 15 minutes, she said. Some chil-dren may have trouble sleeping after watching TV or spending time on their phones before bed. Screens can affect mood or overstimulate some children, she said. Along with Riihimaki, partici-pants in the panel following the screening are:

David Klein, head baseball coach at M-A and founder of America Offline, a wellness company launching in February that is aimed at getting athletes to develop healthier relation-ships with electronics.

Lesley Martin, managing director of SafeSpace, a Men-lo Park youth mental health program.

Bryan Bowen, addiction coun-selor and chief operating officer at Muir Wood Adolescent and

Family Services, a residential treatment program designed specifically for boys ages 12 to 17 who are suffering from sub-stance abuse and other issues.

Stephanie Brown, psychologist and founder of the Addictions Institute, an outpatient clinic offering treatment for addiction problems. The film won an outstand-ing achievement award at the 2018 Berlin Film Festival and best documentary short at the California Independent Film Festival 2018. The free event will be held from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at the M-A Performing Arts Cen-ter at 555 Middlefield Road in Atherton. RSVP at tinyurl.com/M-A-screen-time. For more information, contact David Klein at [email protected]. For more on the film, go to childdisrupted.com. A

Mountain Mike’s may replace

Applewood Pizza In the aftermath of Apple-wood Pizza’s closure at the end of December, rumors are swirl-ing that a new pizza parlor is planning to occupy the down-town Menlo Park building at the corner of Ravenswood Avenue and Menlo Avenue. According to Community Development Director Mark Muenzer, the city of Menlo Park has been told that the new pizza vendor will be Mountain Mike’s Pizza, but it is still in the process of confirming the details. If the site remains a restaurant with minimal modifications to the exterior and interior, he said, the new tenant likely won’t have to acquire too many additional permits.

— By Kate Bradshaw

12 The Almanac AlmanacNews.com February 6, 2019

N E W S

www.restorationstudio.com

Avenidas Lifetime of Achievement honorees unveiled

Photo by Veronica Weber.

The 2019 Avenidas Lifetimes of Achievement honorees, from left moving clockwise, Mary Paine, Mike Turbow, Ellen Turbow, Ginny Lear, Robert Kelly, Ward Paine and Gloria Hom.

May garden party will honor notable seniors, fund support programs

By Palo Alto Weekly staff

From launching a theater company with national reach, to advocating for

legislation and programs for those facing end-of-life choices, to preserving tens of thousands of acres of Peninsula hills, baylands and coastside as open space, the people honored with this year’s Avenidas Lifetimes of Achieve-ment Award have engaged in meaningful and creative efforts to create change in their local com-munities and beyond.

The recipients of the annual award are Robert Kelley of Menlo Park, Ward and Mary Paine of Portola Valley, Mike and Ellen Turbow of Palo Alto, Ginny Lear of Los Altos, and Gloria Hom of Palo Alto.

The honorees were announced at an evening reception on Thursday, Jan. 31, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Palo Alto. They will be formally celebrated at an afternoon garden party on May 19, the main annual fundraiser for Avenidas, a Palo Alto-based nonprofit organization that offers tools for positive aging to seniors and their families on the Midpeninsula.

“Avenidas believes it is critical to tell the stories of those who have gone before us and paved the way,” Avenidas President and CEO Amy Andonian stated in a press release. “Our area is so rich with intelligent and innova-tive people who go out of their

way to give back, and it is truly heartwarming.”

Kelley forever changed local theater after founding Theatre-Works in 1970. The theater company’s first show, “Popcorn,” was an overnight sensation that convinced the city of Palo Alto to provide ongoing support and established the values that define the company today: innova-tion, diversity, education and a celebration of the human spirit, according to the Avenidas press release. Over the past 49 years, TheatreWorks has grown into one of the 50 largest regional theater groups in the country. The company has produced 430 shows, more than 100 new play readings and 70 world premieres, including “Memphis,” which won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical. Kelley, whose life remains tightly interwoven with the company, has been a guest director around the country, lectured at local colleges and won many directing awards from Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, Theatre Bay Area and Backstage West.

Ward and Mary Paine have been key players in preserving large swaths of Peninsula hills, baylands and coastside as perma-nent open space for public health and enjoyment.

Ward, one of the area’s earli-est venture capitalists, helped launch the Peninsula Conserva-tion Center and then formed the nonprofit Peninsula Open

Space Trust in 1977 to protect and care for land in and around Silicon Valley. The trust has been responsible for preserving more than 76,000 acres of open space in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties.

Mary started her environmen-tal endeavors while on the board of the nonprofit Peninsula Con-servation Center. She later co-founded the spin-off organiza-tion Environmental Volunteers, a nonprofit aimed at introducing

natural history and environmen-tal science to children. She played a key role in securing funding for the restoration of the former Sea Scouts building in the Palo Alto Baylands that became the educational EcoCenter and the headquarters for Environmental Volunteers.

Hom has worn many hats throughout her life — including those of an economist, professor, businesswoman and civic leader — as she’s promoted quality of life in her community. As an educator, the Palo Alto native taught generations of students over a 35-year span. She was named “Outstanding Educa-tor of America” and trustee emeritus for the California State University system and received the Seal of California in recog-nition of her years as a member of the California state Board of

Education. Outside the class-room, she attended every Repub-lican National Convention from 1980 through 2008. President Ronald Reagan appointed her to serve on the Advisory Council of the White House Conference on Library and Information Ser-vices, and President George H.W. Bush appointed her to the Sallie Mae Board of Directors.

Lear has spent most of her life volunteering for organi-zations, including the Rotary Clubs of Los Altos and Palo Alto, the Foothill College Foun-dation Commission and the El Camino Hospital Auxiliary. She co-founded the Los Altos Com-munity Foundation’s “LEAD” program to encourage residents to become better involved in their town. While on the Foothill College Foundation Commis-sion, she helped raise more than $100,000 in one night to support innovation projects. And as fundraising co-chair for the new Los Altos History Museum, she helped raise nearly half of the initial the $3.5 million needed to get the project off the ground. Lear said that from an early age, her parents instilled the values of hard work, simple values and modesty — always with a sense of humor included.

Palo Alto couple Ellen and Mike Turbow have worked to improve conditions for those making end-of-life decisions and those with disabilities.

Mike, an early pioneer in the hospice movement during the 1970s, helped establish Mid-Peninsula Hospice — which has since expanded and is now known as Pathways Hospice — and volunteered there as a medi-cal director for nearly 20 years. He also testified multiple times before the California Legislature, playing an important role in the passage of the End of Life Option Act, which allows medical aid in dying for terminally ill patients.

Ellen turned her attention toward children with special needs after the couple’s son died in 2012. She joined the Children’s Health Council board of direc-tors for two terms and later the board of directors of Abilities United, where she also partici-pated on the capital campaign committee. As a member of the Jewish Family and Children’s Services’ public issues commit-tee, Ellen advocated for bet-ter coordination of services for families with disabled children, and in coordination with Abili-ties United, helped convene a two-county conference on the issue.

Tickets for the May 19 party are $75 and available online at avenidas.org or by calling 650-289-5445. A


N E W S

Scott J. Coonan, 55, passed away peacefully

in his sleep from heart failure on January 18,

2019. A former resident of Atherton, California,

and most recently of Raleigh, North Carolina,

Scott was a beloved husband, father, son,

brother, friend, and colleague.

Born in Binghamton, New York,

Scott excelled in academics

and was a number-one ranked

tennis player in high school.

He attended Duke University

on a ROTC scholarship,

graduating in 1985 with a

Bachelor of Science in Electrical

Engineering, and joined the

U.S. Air Force. After receiving

an Honorable Discharge, Scott

attended William & Mary

Law School, graduating in 1992, and had an

illustrious career in patent law working at

Litton Industries, Hewlett-Packard, Thales

North America, and since 2004 at Juniper

Networks in Sunnyvale, California, handling

IP strategy and litigation.

Over the years, Scott enjoyed traveling to new

and old places, watching sports, cooking and

running. Scott and his wife, Lynne, traveled as

much as possible together and were fortunate

to explore much of France while Scott was

working for French-based Thales. Having met

in Washington, D.C., Scott and Lynne moved

to the Silicon Valley in 2004 when their older

daughter, Emma, was three months old. There,

they explored much that California has to offer.

Returning to the East Coast in 2012 to live in

Raleigh (not too far from Duke), Scott and his

family, now including their younger daughter,

Audrey, packed up their Prius and drove cross-

country, with many great stops along the way.

An avid sports fan, Scott’s favorite teams were

the Miami Dolphins and Duke’s Blue Devils,

and watching their games and playing Fantasy

Football were a passion. A long-time runner,

Scott ran multiple marathons, including the

Marine Corps Marathon.

Scott had an infectious laugh, a genuine

interest in others, and a way of putting people

at ease. He was proud of his daughters and

never tired of hearing about their latest

endeavors at school, with friends, on the tennis

or basketball courts, or sailing on Cape Cod.

He was often seen holding his daughters’ hands

and walking them to school in Atherton—tall

Daddy holding his little girls’ hands through

the parking lot—sweet and tender. He also

loved to cook gourmet meals for friends and

family, as well as delighted in

making creative meals for his

children. As an IP attorney at

Juniper, Scott was personally

invested in the company’s

success and could be fierce in his

representation of his client. He

was actively involved in many

of Juniper’s cases: testifying

under oath several times, and

always present for trials and

key hearings. He designed

and implemented strategies

that aggressively defended Juniper’s interests

against those who sued the company. In 2014,

he was humbled to receive Juniper’s CEO Staff

Excellence Award, an honor generally reserved

for top Juniper engineers.

Scott is survived by his wife, Lynne, and their

daughters, Emma and Audrey; his parents,

Sherry and James Coonan, and his sister, Lori;

his in-law family: Jeanine Simoneau; Paul

and Joanne Simoneau; John Simoneau; Janice

Simoneau and Chip Scully; and niece Allison

Simoneau, and nephews Matthew Simoneau

and Lucas Scully. There are many others

who will miss Scott’s keen intellect, generous

nature, and overall presence here on earth.

A celebration of Scott’s life will be held on

Friday, February 8, at 2:00 PM at the Menlo

Church, 950 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park,

CA 94025, followed by a reception.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to

the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s

Health, 400 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 340, Palo

Alto, CA, 94301; Ronald McDonald House,

506 Alexander Avenue, Durham, NC 27705;

Mary Jane Simoneau Fund for Glioblastoma

Research, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer

Center, P.O. Box 27106, New York, NY 10087-

7106; or the Brain Injury Association of

America, 1608 Spring Hill Road, Suite 110,

Vienna, VA 22182.

Arrangements by Brown-Wynne Funeral

Home & Crematory, 300 Saint Mary’s St.,

Raleigh, NC.

P A I D O B I T U A R Y

Scott J. CoonanRaleigh, North Carolina

William Wade Awbrey, age 87, died on January 20,

2019. A fourth generation Californian, Bill was born

in San Francisco to Frances Sisson and Roy Awbrey; he

grew up in Dixon, California and Carson City, Nevada.

He was a proud Eagle Scout in Troup 33 of the Nevada

Area Council. A natural athlete, Bill excelled on high

school and college sports teams (football and skiing).

As an adult, he paused his studies at University of the

Pacific to attend flight school in Pensacola, Florida and

became a Naval aviator flying P2V Neptunes. In 1956,

he married Mary Stuart in Washington D.C., serving 6

more months with squadron VP18 based in Jacksonville,

Florida. He soon enrolled at UC Berkeley and became a

“weekend warrior” (Lt. Sr. Grade) for the Navy. Upon

graduating from UC Berkeley with a BS in Marketing,

he was hired by Continental Can Company, where his 20

year career took the family from the West Coast to the

East Coast and back again to California. He later held

management positions with Scholle Corporation, Pacific

Coast Producers and finally Confab Corporation. He

was actively engaged in community affairs in Atherton,

where he lived for 42 years. In retirement, he volunteered

as a tutor and at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. All

through life, music was his enduring passion; Bill was

never happier than when he was playing his trumpet, his

grandpa’s harmonica or his ukulele for his three beloved

grand daughters. Throughout his life, Bill enjoyed

tennis, golf and skiing. He is predeceased by his parents

and a daughter Blair, and is survived by his wife Mary

Stuart, and their two children Craig Awbrey (Carrie)

and Lisa Awbrey (Jason) and three grand daughters. A

private family service is planned for February.

P A I D O B I T U A R Y

William Wade Awbrey

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announces 2019 local grantees

Photo courtesy of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

From left, former director of the Ecumenical Hunger Program Nevida Butler, with Jackie Garcia, Family Services Associate at the Ecumenical Hunger Program; and Priscilla Chan, co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, who met Jan. 18 at the Ecumenical Hunger Program’s food distribution center in East Palo Alto.

budget of at least $100,000 and be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, a fis-cally sponsored project, a local municipality, or a government agency. The grantees are: Able Works, Adolescent Counseling Services, Belle Haven Community Devel-opment Fund, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, Busi-nesses United in Investing, Lending and Development, CASA of San Mateo County, Chicana Latina Foundation, Children’s Health Council, Community Gatepath, CORA

(Communities Overcoming Relationship Abuse), the East Palo Alto Academy Foundation, Eastside College Preparatory School, Ecumenical Hunger Program, Faith in Action Bay Area, Free at Last: Recovery and Rehabilitation Services, Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc., Girls to Women, Good Karma Bikes, Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, HIP Housing, International Institute of the Bay Area, JobTrain, Inc., Legal Aid Society of San Mateo Coun-ty, the Multicultural Institute,

Menlo Together, Multicultural Counseling and Educational Services of the Bay Area, My New Red Shoes, Nuestra Casa de East Palo Alto, Peninsula Volun-teers, Inc., Project WeHOPE, Ravenswood Family Health Center, Renaissance Entrepre-neurship Center Mid-Peninsula, Services & Immigrant Rights & Education Network, St. Antho-ny’s Padua Dining Room, Street Life Ministries, StreetCode Academy, and The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of San Mateo County. A


The Chan Zuckerberg Ini-tiative has announced the recipients of its local grant

program for 2019. Nearly 40 local organizations that help meet the basic needs of people in Belle Haven, East Palo Alto, North Fair Oaks and Red-wood City will receive grants of $25,000 to $100,000, according to a press statement released Jan. 29. “The tireless work of these

organizations improves the daily lives of countless local residents and shapes our com-munity for the better,” said Priscilla Chan, co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The initiative’s 2019 com-munity grant cycle gave pri-ority to local nonprofits that address food security, safety, mental health and health care, as well as housing and homeless-ness, education, immigration, transportation and workforce development. Organizations had to have a


C O V E R S T O R Y

What’s the definition of a fun guy? A man with a thousand photos of fungi on his smartphone.

The joke aptly describes Dr. George Caughey, the mushroom expert who led The Almanac on a recent two-hour foray from his Woodside home into Huddart County Park.

That day he identified 33 separate species of mushrooms, ranging from edible to hallu-cinogenic to poisonous, but he says there are believed to be three to four million different species in the kingdom Fungi, and only 10 percent of them have been named.

When he spotted a mushroom that stumped him in the park, he whipped out his phone and took a photo to compare with reference books and online sources later on. It’s all part of the thrill of discovery.

And now that it’s raining, it’s mushroom sea-son on the Peninsula, when the spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi pop out of the ground or from decaying trees, sometimes appearing overnight or enduring for decades.

Stopping on a public roadside, Caughey pulled out a specialty mushroom knife, which has a curved blade, to harvest a specimen to inspect under his microscope at home. He could send any mystery mushrooms to a lab for DNA testing, but at the cost of hundreds of dollars, that can add up quickly.

He was delighted by his first sighting this season of Lactarius rufulus, or Southern Candy Cap, which he describes as tasting like maple syrup when dried (he has a dehydrator). The specimen may end up as a tasty treat at his monthly meeting of the Mycological Society of San Francisco, where members snack on mushroom-related foods during show-and-tell and lectures.

Caughey mans the toxicology table at the society’s annual Fungus Fair. He calls himself a “physician scientist, a molecular biologist, chemist,” and “amateur mycologist.”

He retired last year and is now a professor emeritus at University of California at San Francisco, where his focus was on pulmonary, critical care, allergy and sleep medicine. His interest in fungi mushroomed some 30 years ago in New Hampshire when “we were living off the grid one summer and I was just sur-rounded by mushrooms,” he says.

Curiosity led him to reading about them, attending meetings, and going on for-ays. Last fall he and his wife went on a

Fungus among us

Woodside mushroom hunter travels near and far for the love of fungi

BY KATE DALY Special to the Almanac

PHOTOS BY MAGALI GAUTHIER

Top: George Caughey looks at the gills of a Pluteus exilis, more commonly known as a “deer mushroom,” using an inspection mirror in Huddart Park in Woodside. Right: George Caughey looks at the gills of a Caulorhiza umbonata, or “redwood rotter.”

About the cover:A Volvopluteus gloiocephalus, or “big sheath mushroom,” in a field in Woodside. Dr. George Caughey is a mushroom expert and professor emeritus at University of California at San Francisco.


C O V E R S T O R Y

mushroom-collecting trip to Sicily. The object was to see what grows around Mount Etna, and the group the couple traveled with found 250 species.

Throughout the late January walk in Woodside he spots a type of mushroom found on rotting wood all over the world in horizontal bands of ring-patterned fans, Trametes versicolor, or Turkey Tail.

In China and the Far East, he says, they are used medicinally for immune-boosting purposes in teas and tinctures.

He identifies two large, fleshy orange-colored mushrooms that are sometimes mistaken for chanterelles: Omphalotus olivascens, or Western Jack O’ Lantern, and Phyllotopsis nidulans, or Orange Mock Oyster. The first glows in the dark and is poisonous, whereas the second smells like rotten eggs and is “mildly toxic.”

Near the Greer Road park entrance he spies a Galerina marginata, or Deadly Gale-rina, sprouting out of a dead coast live oak.

“People have poisoned themselves on these look-ing for hallucinogenics,” Caughey cautions.

When he gets to the fallen tree in the East Meadow that is hosting several clumps of mushrooms textured like coral, Hericium corraloides, or Comb Tooth, he is clearly excited, using his walking stick to point out the features of what he calls a “charis-matic mushroom.”

He pulls out the extended mirror he carries to check out the undersides of vari-ous fungi for pores or gills, and exclaims, “It is delicious ... to me this is a beautiful mushroom!” adding that his daughter’s boyfriend likes to use the white delicacy as a pizza topping.

“There are people who take chances,

but I just stay away from any category of mushroom considered lethal; I’m very conservative,” he says.

After eating about 40 different species over the years, he has gotten a stomachache only a couple of times, he says.

His theory is that it’s OK to take a tiny taste and then spit it out. “No mushroom will poison you unless you really eat it, and then it takes several days,” he says.

“Six hours later you get diarrhea. The dangerous thing is the honeymoon period when you feel good again, and then every-thing shuts down in three days, and you’re gone.”

He recalls the December 2017 news headlines of an incident when doctors

had to treat 14 people who became severely ill after eat-ing wild mushrooms for-aged in Northern California mountains. Three ended up with liver transplants, includ-ing a toddler who also suf-fered permanent neurological damage. The most likely culprit was the Amanita phalloides, or Death Cap, which Caughey says was introduced here in the 1930s on nursery stock

imported from Europe, and can be found where coast live oaks and cork trees grow.

He hasn’t seen any yet so far, but usually runs into “hundreds” of Death Caps in his yard, near the Pulgas Water Temple, and in the watershed near Filoli, where he used to lead mushroom hiking tours and helped train the current batch of nature docents.

For all amateur mycologists he recom-mends reading: “Mushrooms of the Red-wood Coast” by Noah Siegel and Christian Schwarz; “California Mushrooms” by Dennis Desjardin, Michael Wood and Frederick Stevens; and “Mushrooms Demystified” by David Arora. A

Clockwise from top left: George Caughey says his interest in fungi mushroomed some 30 years ago in New Hampshire; The poisonous Omphalotus olivascens, or Western Jack-O’-Lantern,” is sometimes mistaken for the edible chanterelle; The gills of some Trametes betulina, more commonly known as “gilled polypore,” are seen in a mirror in Huddart Park; Caughey examines the veils of a mushroom to identify its species.

‘There are people who take

chances, but I just stay away

from any category of mushroom

considered lethal.’DR. GEORGE CAUGHEY


P E O P L E A N D P E R F O R M A N C E S I N A RT S A N D E N T E RTA I N M E N T

Artscene

By John Orr

‘Frost/Nixon,” as staged by TheatreWorks Sili-con Valley, is a brilliant,

astounding, not-to-be-missed 110 minutes of theater.

Everything about this pro-duction, directed by Leslie Mar-tinson, is a triumph, from the

excellent set and onstage media designed by David Lee Cuth-bert to Allen McCullough’s powerfully evocative perfor-mance as Richard M. Nixon.

Playwright Peter Morgan doesn’t let history get in the

way of a good story, anymore than did Shakespeare. Most of this play is as history recorded it but where Morgan wanders away from the facts, it is, per-haps, to illustrate some deeper truth. Or, maybe, just to make it work better in the theater.

Morgan draws Nixon — who was reviled by liberals, abused the power of the presidency in attempts to punish people on his “enemies list” and wore a suit and tie to walk on the beach — as a sympathetic character.

McCullough’s Nixon often

tries to crack a joke, stumbles humanly over some bit of cour-tesy or another, and gets teary and choked up while recalling his father.

And some, but not all, of Nixon’s accomplishments are mentioned, especially his suc-cess in opening dialogue with China.

Even those of us who are old enough to have watched the Watergate hearings on televi-sion or have read the Wood-ward/Bernstein books can appreciate Morgan’s alchemy in making Nixon rather sym-pathetic, at least for the dura-tion of this play.

“Frost/Nixon” is the story of TV host David Frost getting Nixon to sit down for a series of interviews, a couple of years after Nixon had resigned the presidency in disgrace.

Both men needed the expo-sure. Frost, a Brit whose TV career had been reduced to interviewing minor celebrities in Australia, wanted a ticket back to New York. Nixon, who had barely survived seri-ous phlebitis and depression after leaving the White House for his California estate, was in bad shape financially and wanted a path back to the East Coast and some kind of politi-cal meaningfulness.

The first part of this play limns how Frost and his team, which included fiery jour-nalist James Reston Jr., and Nixon and his team, including Col. Jack Brennan and Holly-wood dealmaker Swifty Lazar, danced around each other to make a deal. What subjects would be broached — a quarter of the interview time would be about Watergate — and how much Nixon would be paid ($600,000 up front, and 20 percent of any profits). Jeremy Webb is excellent as Frost, seemingly insouci-ant but fully aware of what he needs to succeed with this huge project, which would take four weeks of interviews, at considerable cost. Frost was considered a light-weight, and the major TV net-works weren’t interested in the project, which they disdained as “checkbook journalism.” Frost had to hustle for financ-ing and eventually got a syndi-cation deal. McCullough brings f lesh to Nixon’s intelligence, as the for-mer trial lawyer and president easily controls the direction of the interviews early on, as Webb’s Frost becomes more

frustrated in his attempts to get Nixon to apologize for Watergate.

It’s a battle, and makes for great theater.

Kenny Toll is solid and impassioned as Reston, who keeps digging for evidence to use against Nixon, whom he hates. He is disgusted with himself when he shakes Nixon’s hand. Toll is one of the onstage narrators, the other being Craig Marker as Brennan. Marker brings solid sincerity to his respect for the former president.

It’s an almost all-male cast, with Nixon’s wife and daugh-ters mentioned but not seen. Alicia Piemme Nelson has a short bit as tennis player Evonne Goolagong, to illus-trate how far Frost had fallen; and Elena Wright is on hand as Caroline Cushing, apparently to illustrate that Frost liked beautiful women.

The set is very impressive, switching from the White House to British and Ameri-can hotel rooms to a seaside home where the interviews took place. Overhead, there is the sort of lighting struc-ture expected to be seen in a TV studio (take a bow, lighting designer Steven B. Mannshardt). Upstage are 35 large TV monitors that are brilliantly used to display backgrounds, to become TV studio direction monitors, and at the key denouement, to focus in on McCullough’s face as Nixon makes his deepest statement, as seen through the live TV cameras on stage. That is the moment Frost knew he needed, and director Martinson makes it a trium-phant note. The entire cast is very good. But McCullough is transcen-dently brilliant. He brings a complete life to Nixon in this play: a performance not to be missed. A

Freelance writer John Orr can be emailed at johnorr@

regardingarts.com.

PORTOLA VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICTPortola Valley School District invites applicants for Independent Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee

-

-

-

Kevin Berne

Allen McCullough as Richard Nixon reacts to his interviews with David Frost in “Frost/Nixon,” presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.

LEHUA GREENMAN

650.245.1845

"When you reach the

end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."

‘Frost/Nixon’ is a must-seeHistory comes alive in TheatreWorks production about disgraced ex-president

THEATER REVIEW

What: “Frost/Nixon”Where: Mountain View Cen-ter for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View.When: Through Feb. 10.Cost: $40-$100Info: Go to theatreworks.org.

INFORMATION


C O M M U N I T Y

By Kate DalySpecial to the Almanac

Menlo School is staging the West Coast pre-miere of “The Old Man

and The Old Moon,” a creatively staged play featuring shadow puppets and magical moments filled with song, this weekend. The ensemble cast is led by junior Ethan Bernheim, the Old Man who abandons his post fill-ing the moon with liquid light to travel to the end of the earth in search of his missing wife. PigPen Theatre Company took a folktale and shaped it into a good story, Bernheim says, and “as a recent show written by a group of college students, it

combines a wide and appealing range of differing elements.” Shows are on Friday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 9, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 10, at 5 p.m. in Florence Moore Auditorium at 50 Valparaiso Ave. in Atherton. There will be open seating. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for students. To purchase tickets in advance go to menloschool.org, or buy them at the door. The production will benefit Music & Memory, a nonprofit that helps the elderly reconnect with their memories through personalized playlists of their favorite music. A

Steven Minning

Menlo School student Ethan Bernheim leads the ensemble cast of “The Old Man and The Old Moon.”

Menlo School brings a nontraditional play to life with music and puppets

995 Fictitious Name StatementSTANFORD MENLO PARK RENTALS FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 280000 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Stanford Menlo Park Rentals, located at 115 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025, San Mateo County; Mailing address: 8 Sandpiper Street, Irvine, CA 92604. Registered owner(s): RANJEET KUMAR PANCHOLY 8 Sandpiper Street Irvine, CA 92604 VIJAY JAYA PANCHOLY 8 Sandpiper Street Irvine, CA 92604 This business is conducted by: Married Couple. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on N/A. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of San Mateo County on January 8, 2019. (ALM Jan. 16, 23, 30; Feb. 6, 2019)

IPSY FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 280005 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Ipsy, located at 201 Baldwin Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401, San Mateo County. Registered owner(s): PERSONALIZED BEAUTY DISCOVERY, INC. 201 Baldwin Avenue San Mateo, CA 94401 Delaware This business is conducted by: A Corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 08/03/2011. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of San Mateo County on January 9, 2019. (ALM Jan. 23, 30; Feb. 6, 13, 2019)

POINTS PASSPORT FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 280014 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Points Passport, located at 655 Oak Grove Avenue #782, Menlo Park, CA 94025, San Mateo County. Registered owner(s): MOON BOUND VENTURES LLC 655 Oak Grove Avenue #782 Menlo Park, CA 94025 California This business is conducted by: A Limited Liability Company. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 1/9/2019. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of San Mateo County on January 9, 2019. (ALM Jan. 23, 30; Feb. 6, 13, 2019)

STELLAR SWIMMING FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 280050 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Stellar Swimming, located at 3125 Jefferson

Ave., Redwood City, CA 94062, San Mateo County. Registered owner(s): BARBARA LYNN LeBLANC 4618 Bianca Dr. Fremont, Calif. 94538 This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on December 23, 2009. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of San Mateo County on January 14, 2019. (ALM Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27, 2019)

A & A HOME IMPROVEMENT FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 280069 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: A & A Home Improvement, located at 1327 Henderson Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025, San Mateo County. Registered owner(s): ALEJANDRO ARGUELLO 1327 Henderson Ave. Menlo Park, CA 94025 This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on N/A. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of San Mateo County on January 15, 2019. (ALM Jan. 23, 30; Feb. 6, 13, 2019)

ROBERT J. HOFFMAN AND CO. CPAS FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 279997 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Robert J. Hoffman and Co. CPAS, located at 295 89th St., #200, Daly City, CA 94015, San Mateo County. Registered owner(s): JUSTIN HETSLER 2261 Market St. #625 San Francisco, CA 94114 This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 1/2/19. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of San Mateo County on January 8, 2019. (ALM Jan. 23, 30; Feb. 6, 13, 2019)

METRO CLEANERS FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 280111 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Metro Cleaners, located at 923 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404, San Mateo County. Registered owner(s): ARYAHI TRINITY INC. 923 E. Hillsdale Blvd. Suite A-1 Foster City, CA 94404 CA This business is conducted by: A Corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 5/12/18. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of San Mateo County on January 18, 2019. (ALM Jan. 30; Feb. 6, 13, 20, 2019)

ORAL FILM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 280037 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Oral Film Technologies, Inc., located at 360 1st. Ave., #123, San Mateo, CA 94401, San Mateo County. Registered owner(s): RICHER WORLDWIDE ENTERPRISES, INC. 360 1st. Ave., #123 San Mateo, CA 94401 California This business is conducted by: A Corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on N/A. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of San Mateo County on January 11, 2019. (ALM Jan. 30; Feb. 6, 13, 20, 2019)

CC8 MANAGEMENT GROUP FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 280153 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: CC8 Management Group, located at 258 C Street, Redwood City, CA 94063, San Mateo County. Registered owner(s): CHRISTOPHER CHUNG 258 C Street Redwood City, CA 94063 This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on N/A. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of San Mateo County on January 24, 2019. (ALM Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27, 2019)

997 All Other LegalsORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE COUNTY OF SAN MATEO Case No.: 18CIV06836 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: JAMIE RICARDO AYON-FACUNDO filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: JAMIE RICARDO AYON-FACUNDO to SANTIAGO RICARDO AYON FACUNDO. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING: February 13, 2019, 9:00 a.m., Dept.: PJ of the Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, located at 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063. A copy of this ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: THE ALMANAC Date: December 28, 2018 /s/ Susan Irene Etezadi JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT (ALM Jan. 16, 23, 30; Feb. 6, 2019)

Public Notices

Call Alicia Santillan at 650-223-6578 or email [email protected] for legal advertising.

By Palo Alto Weekly sports staff

Former Menlo School and Stanford basketball stand-out Eric Reveno, former

Menlo-Atherton swimming great Tod Spieker and former Woodside track-and-field athlete Nicole Carroll will be among the six individuals who will be inducted into the Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame on April 25 at the San Mateo County History Museum. Carroll went from Woodside to College of San Mateo and Fresno State, evolving into a world-class javelin thrower. She was a two-time American champion and a member of the 1996 U.S. Olym-pic team.

Reveno, a basketball state champion at Menlo School, later played at Stanford University and became the head coach at Port-land University, earning WCC Coach of the Year honors. He’s currently an assistant coach at Georgia Tech University. Spieker is a familiar name at Menlo-Atherton, where he helped the Bears reach national prominence in swimming. He later attended University of Cali-fornia at Los Angeles and was involved in masters’ age-group competition. For more information on the April 25 affair, please contact the San Mateo County Historical Association at 650-299-0104. A


In recognition of Women’s History Month in March, San Mateo County ‘s Arts

Commission and Commis-sion on the Status of Women are teaming up to organize the 15th annual Women’s Art Show. The commissions are ask-ing for art exhibition entries from female county residents

or women who are directly employed by the county. One hundred spots are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis via entry form requests. “No nudes, politics, religious or violent themes accepted,” according to curator Boris Koodrin. People who want

entry forms and instructions should email him at [email protected]. The exhibit will run from March 4 to April 30 at the Red-wood City Hall of Justice on the main f loor Caldwell Gal-lery and the lower f loor Com-munity Gallery. A

Several locals to be inducted into Peninsula

Hall of Fame

Submissions sought for Women’s Art Show

Sign up today at AlmanacNews.com/express


M E E T I N G S , M U S I C , T H E AT E R A N D F A M I LY A C T I V I T I E S

CalendarTo place an ad contact Nico Navarrete at 650.223.6582

or email [email protected].

Redding Area

27-1/2 Acres in

6 Separate Parcels.

Trees, Views, dirt road.

$28,000. Down, $1,600./

Mo. $189,000. Cash Price

All 6. Lg. Family/Group.

OWC, Owner

530-605-8857

NO JOB TOO BIGOR TOO SMALLAble Handyman Fred is

the one to call. • Carpentry • Painting• Plumbing• Electrical• Flooring ...You Name it!

Trusted since 2004

650.529.1662650.483.4227

[email protected]

Matched CareGivers

“There’s no place like home.”

Matched CareGivers is nurse owned and operated and has provided the best in home care and case management on the peninsula for over 25 years.

Our trained caregivers provide personal care, bathing, dressing, companionship, exercise mobility assistance, and much more.

Menlo Park • San Mateo • San Jose Lic# 41470002

MatchedCareGivers.com

you can count on us to be there. Call (650) 839-2273When someone you care about needs assistance...

Employment

To place an ad or get a quote, call 650.223.6582 or email [email protected].

Love to work with children’s literature?

Find joy in getting the right book in the hands of a reader?

Do you have a background in bookselling, library science,

and/or children’s books?

Linden Tree is looking for experienced, Booksellers and

a Receiver (all part-time)

A background in bookselling, library science or equivalent

is required. A strong knowledge of children’s literature

and equally strong customer service skills is essential.

Booksellers must have the flexibility to work weekend

hours. Educators, librarians, and booksellers are all

encouraged to inquire for non-seasonal positions.

Linden Tree is a destination location for book lovers,

located in the heart of downtown Los Altos. Please contact

[email protected] for more information about

these positions.

Theater

Los Altos Stage Company rings in the new year with “American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose,” a mix of past and present, stereotype and truth. Through Feb. 17, times vary. $20-$38. Bus Barn Theatre, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. losaltosstage.org

Menlo Park Main Library presents “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” Puppet Art Theatre-style. Feb. 7, 7-7:45 p.m. Free. Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St., Menlo Park. Search menlopark.org for more info.

“The Revolutionists” is a comedic play about four women who lived boldly in France during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Through Feb. 10, times vary. $18-$37. The Dragon Theater, 2120 Broadway, Redwood City.

In this play, a modern-day prophet predicts the disappearance of half the world’s population and warns those remaining that they are the next to go. With 12 hours to live, some spend time with loved ones, oth-ers spend it on OkCupid, a dating website. Through Feb. 17, times vary. $15-$35. The Pear Theater, 1110 La Avenida, Mountain View. thepear.org

In Tony and Olivier Award-nom-inated drama ‘Frost/Nixon,’ America is caught in the riptides of Watergate and Vietnam, and Nixon and a British talk-show host clash in a series of TV interviews that will determine the president’s legacy. Through Feb. 10, times vary. $40-$100. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. Search theatreworks.org for more info.

Concerts Music@Menlo presents a

chamber music concert spanning baroque to romantic works, featuring alumni of the Cham-ber Music Institute with Music@Menlo festival artists. Benefit concert includes dessert and wine reception with the artists. Feb. 9, 7-9:30 p.m. $50-$70. Stent Family Hall, Menlo School, 50 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton. Search musicatmenlo.org for more info.

The Red-wood Symphony presents a concert of works by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Johannes Brahms and Igor Stravinsky. Violinist Miranda Liu and cellist Jonah Kim are featured. Feb. 9, 8-10 p.m. $10-$30. Canada College, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd., Redwood City. Search face-book.com/events for more info.

Music The Art of Filoli

tour covers the Filoli House’s fine art collec-tion, which includes a wide range of artists and styles dating back to the early 17th cen-tury. Highlights include drawings and paintings by John Singer Sargent, Sir Peter Lely, Jan Weenix, Sir William Orpen, Ernest Peixotto, Mary Curtis Richardson, Nelson Shanks and more. Feb. 10 and 17; 1-3:30 p.m. $15, plus admission to Filoli. Filoli Gardens, 86 Old Canada Road, Woodside. Search filoli.org/event for more info.

The five-member singing group Vajra Voices presents “Women’s Voices Uplifted: Women composers from medieval to mod-ern.” The concert features works written by female composers, including antiphons by Hildegard, motets from the “Las Huelgas de Burgos” manuscript, and the newly composed “To Burst To Bloom” by Theresa Wong. Feb. 10, 4-6 p.m. $20; $15 for seniors, students. St. Bede’s Episcopal Church, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park. Search stbedesmenlopark.org for more info.

The singers of First Street Opera offer a selection of musical pieces that were popular during the era of the original families of Filoli. Feb. 10, 3-5 p.m. $22, mem-bers; $30 non-members. Filoli Gardens, 86 Old Canada Road, Woodside. Search filoli.org/event for more info.

GB Gents, a neo-acoustic pop groove duo, perform original music from their just-released album,

“American Stories,” as well as pop covers. Feb. 9, 6-9 p.m. Free. Cafe Zoe, 1929 Menalto Ave., Menlo Park. cafezoehub.com

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s lesser-known master-pieces include the six-movement “Diverti-mento Trio.” Kay Stern on violin, Ben Simon on viola, and Hannah Addario-Berry on cello give a guided tour of the work, followed by a complete performance. Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m. Free. Dinkelspiel Auditorium, 471 Lagunita Drive, Stanford. Search events.stanford.edu/events for more info.

Talks & Lectures Alexandra Bracken, best-selling author

of the “Darkest Mind” series, and Tamara Ireland Stone, bestselling author of “Every Last Word,” showcase their middle-grade sequels “The Last Life of Prince Alastor” and “Swap’d” at Kepler’s Books. RSVP requested. Feb 8, 7-9 p.m. Free. Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Search eventbrite.com for more info.

New York Times best-selling author of the John Rain and Livia Lone series, Barry Eisler, shares his latest thriller, “The Killer Collective.” RSVP requested. Feb 7, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Free. Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Search eventbrite.com for more info.

- Glenn Rifkin launches

his book “Future Forward,” an homage to the late Patrick J. McGovern, in conversation with his subject’s son Patrick J. McGovern III. Limited seats. Feb. 6, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $23-$45, premier admission includes book. Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Search eventbrite.com for more info.

-

Mary Garretson, co-author of “A Bay Area Guide to Orchids and Their Culture,” gives a talk, “Slippery Tales: Adventures and misadventures to find slipper orchids in the wild.” Lecture is for Filoli members. Feb. 9, 1-2 p.m. Free. Filoli Gardens, 86 Old Canada Road, Woodside. Search filoli.org/event for more info.

First-year Stegner Fellows in fiction and poetry, Neha Chaudhary-Kamdar and Jay Deshpande Neha Chaudhary-Kamdar, read and discuss their work. Feb. 6, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Levin-thal Hall, Stanford Humanities Center, 424 Santa Teresa St., Stanford. Search arts.stan-ford.edu/event for more info.

Author Susan Dennard speaks on her latest epic fantasy novel, “Bloodwitch.” RSVP requested. Feb. 13, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Search eventbrite.com for more info.

Dr. Vandana Shiva, an advocate of a more equitable and sustainable food system, talks about natural and organic methods of farming as a solution for both food insecurity and climate change. This lecture is part of the annual Wallace Stegner Lecture Series organized by Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST). Feb. 12, 8-10 p.m. $40; $20 students. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. Search opens-pacetrust.org for more info.

Family

Supervisor Joe Simitian and Menlo Park Mayor Ray Mueller moderate a panel discus-sion about the housing crisis for teachers with Edith Salvatore, president of Sequoia District Teachers Association; Sarah Chaffin, founder of SupportTeacherHousing.org; Armando Sanchez, executive director of HEART (Hous-ing Endowment and Regional Trust of San Mateo County); and Maya Perkins, expert on regional housing and transportation. Feb. 13, 4-6 p.m. Free, but RSVP required. Sequoia High School, 1201 Brewster Ave., Redwood City. Search eventbrite.com for more info.

Family Day at Stanford University’s Cantor Arts Center fea-tures hands-on art activities, gallery talks, sto-rytime and more. For all ages. Jan. 13, 11 a.m.

Free. Cantor Arts Center, 328 Lomita Drive at Museum Way, Stanford. Search events.stan-ford.edu for more info.

Museums & Exhibits The exhibit dis-

plays an original pictographic alphabet as well as brightly colored postcard-size illustrations from contemporary African artist and poet Frederic Bruly Bouabre. Through March 2, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Tuesdays. Free. Cantor Arts Center, 328 Lomita Drive at Museum Way, Stanford. Search museum.stanford.edu/exhi-bitions for more info.

- Tours will be given of an

exhibit that focuses on how nature was depict-ed by American artists from the 1880s to 1910, during a time of industrialization and urban development. Reservation not required. Thurs-days, Saturdays and Sundays through Aug. 24, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Free. Cantor Arts Center, 328 Lomita Drive at Museum Way, Stanford. Search events.stanford.edu for more info.

This exhibi-tion of a variety of antique toys covers the origins of playtime, toy factories, toy trains, builder toys and more. Fridays to Sundays through Feb. 17, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Free. Museum of American Heritage, 351 Homer Ave., Palo Alto. moah.org.

Galleries “Variations

on a Theme” — an exhibition of watercolor paintings by Yvonne Newhouse of San Mateo — highlights Newhouse’s ongoing explora-tion of painting a single subject using multiple approaches. Opening reception on Feb. 9, 1-4 p.m. Through Feb. 28, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed on Sundays. Free. Portola Art Gallery, 75 Arbor Road, Menlo Park. portolaartgallery.com

Film

This first-ever comprehensive history of anima-tion worldwide presents clips from 160 films from 26 countries, discussing the most signifi-cant animated films of the past 100 years. Feb. 12, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St., Menlo Park. menlopark.org

- A screening of the documentary “Child,

Disrupted” followed by a discussion is hosted by America Offline, Safe Space, The Addic-tions Institute, and Muir Wood. Feb. 7, 7-8:15 p.m. Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton. Search event-brite.com for more info.

The United Nations Association Film Festival presents “Lessons in Fear,” a film about educating Israeli and Palestinian stu-dents to defuse fear and conflict. Feb. 6, 1:30-3 p.m. Free. Little House Activity Center, 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park.

Food & Drink Portola

Valley Farmers Market offers locally grown organic produce, prepared foods and artisan crafts at the town center, with parking avail-able. Thursdays, 2-5 p.m. Free. Portola Town Center, 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley. Search goodrootsevents.com for more info.

Outdoor Recreation Friends of Bedwell Bayfront

Park and Sequoia Audubon Society host a one- to two-hour beginner bird walk. Attend-ees may see wintering ducks, shorebirds, egrets and hawks and are encouraged to bring binoculars. The walk begins at the restrooms in the parking lot and is canceled if there’s heavy rain. Feb. 9, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. 1600 Marsh Road, Menlo Park.

On Filoli’s 90-minute mushroom hikes, visitors learn about the important ecosystems of fungi and how to spot mushrooms on the forest floor. The trail is 2-3 miles of uneven terrain and moderate hills. Through Feb. 16, Tuesdays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $15, plus admission to Filoli. Filoli Gardens, 86 Old Canada Road, Woodside. Search filoli.org/event for more info.

Visit AlmanacNews.com/calendar to see more calendar listings


THE 33RD ANNUAL PALO ALTO WEEKLY

Short Story Contest

Sponsored by:

FOR OFFICIAL RULES & ENTRY FORM, VISIT:

www.paloaltoonline.com/short_story

ENTRY DEADLINE: March 29, 2019 at 5pm

ALL stories must be

2,500 words or less

Prizes for First, Second and Third place winners in each category:

Adult, Young Adult (15-17) and Teen (12-14)

IDEAS, THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ABOUT LOCAL ISSUESIDEAS, THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ABOUT LOCAL ISSUES

ViewpointBy Marcy Abramowitz

Before the train leaves the station on the Menlo Park rail grade separation decision, the City Council will open up its options beyond the pre-

viously chosen Option A, a road underpass at Raven-swood Avenue, and Option C, three hybrid over/under cross-ings at Ravenswood, Oak Grove, and Glenwood avenues. The council’s upcoming vote on Feb. 12, presumably for C, is in part a technicality to receive grant reimbursement for studies done to date. Let’s get that done.

That vote is not the final say, however. This council, like the last, has expressed interest in exploring other options, including a tunnel or trench, as well as a fully elevated structure cutting north-south across the city.

While just about everyone can agree that putting the train below ground would be the ideal solution in terms of safety, aesthetics, and cross-town connectiv-ity, the cost may be prohibitive. Like others, I hope that by working with neighboring communities we can find an innovative funding solution.

If the tracks must be elevated, there’s far less con-sensus about how far up they should go. Despite some enthusiastic supporters, many, myself included, feel a

fully elevated track would be inappropriate for Menlo Park. At a height of 50 feet, and running from south of Ravenswood to Encinal, this citywide divider of track and catenary wires would be the tallest struc-ture west of 101. Trains would be visible and audible

from great distances, even with-out horns. Businesses and resi-dents near the tracks would be moved literally into its shadows. It’s no coincidence that so many cities across the U.S. are tearing down their elevated structures.

Fortunately, there is another viable choice that deserves seri-ous consideration: the Menlo Park City Council’s own Option

B. Like Option C, Option B calls for hybrid over/under crossings at Ravenswood and Oak Grove, but it excludes Glenwood. In April 2017, the council voted to use limited funds to study Options A and C, reasoning that C would yield insights for B. Based on what we now know, B offers two big advantages over C:

Significantly less cost and disruption. The city’s vehicle crossing data shows that 75 percent of daily crossings take place at Ravenswood and Oak Grove, with just 13 percent at Glenwood. On a proportional basis, Option C’s estimated $390 million, five-year

construction plan across three crossings would cost 50 percent more and create 50 percent more head-aches and disruption than Option B’s two crossings, while providing limited additional benefit.

Lower visible barrier. Option B’s peak track height of 17 feet would be located (relatively) unobtrusively south of Ravenswood, roughly between the Arril-laga Recreation Center and the Big 5 retail store, and would come down to 6 feet by Oak Grove. By contrast, Option C’s 10-foot berm would extend from Arril-laga/Big 5 all the way to Oak Grove before coming down to 5 feet at Glenwood, creating a significantly larger visual barrier on both sides.

Importantly, two grade-separated crossings are more than ample for Menlo Park’s needs. Menlo Park’s four crossings span only 0.6 miles in total, the highest density of rail crossings in any primarily residential area on the Peninsula. By comparison, Palo Alto averages a half-mile between crossings.

The choice of grade separation is likely to be the most consequential decision this council will make, since generations to come will live with the conse-quences. Hopefully, our council will choose an option that addresses necessary safety concerns, while also preserving as much of the character and sense of community that makes Menlo Park such a wonderful place to live. Option B deserves due consideration.

Consider Option B for Menlo Park’s grade separation project

GUEST OPINION

Marcy Abramowitz is

a longtime resident

of Menlo Park who

follows train-related

issues.


The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated

with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2019 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC.

Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. 414911SFSV_02/19 CalRE #01908304.

COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM

COLDWELL BANKER

Mountain View | $2,200,000

Chris Taelemans

Moss Beach | $1,510,000

The Rain Team

CalRE #01169588

Redwood City | $828,000

Camille Eder

Redwood Shores | $1,448,888 Redwood Shores |

Menlo Park | $1,249,000 Montara | $1,129,000

The Rain Team

CalRE #01169588

Montara | $1,025,000

The Rain Team

CalRE #01169588

Redwood City |


The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated

with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2019 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC.

Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. 414911SFSV_02/19 CalRE #01908304.

COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM

COLDWELL BANKER

Palo Alto | $4,500,000

Julie Lau

CalRE #01052924

Menlo Park | $2,249,000

Jasmine Lee

CalRE #01961084

Palo Alto | $2,890,000

Lollie Gilbert

Palo Alto | $2,495,000

pool on large lot.

new the hometown newspaper for menlo park, atherton, … · 2019. 3. 5. · 6 q thealmanac q...

Documents